Elastic-fluid turbine.



NOI '12V-,912. i PTBNTED IIA'I'I2,1903.

o. G. CURTIS. I

BLASTIG FLUID IU-RBINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31, 1897.

Patented May 12, 1903.

EETCE.

PATENT CHARLES G. CURTIS, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To CURTIS STEAM WEST VIRGINIA.

TURBINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ELASTIC-FLUlDhTURBINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,912, dated May 12, 1903. Application liled July 31, 1897I Serial No. 646,625. (No model.)

ful Improvement in Elastic-Fluid Turbines,`

of which the following is a specification.

The object I have in viveW is to provide' Ineans for reversing compound elastic-fluid turbines, such as are described in my Patents Nos. 566,968 and 566,969, and particularly for reversing compound elastic-Huid turbines comprising each two or more sections (each 4section being simple or compound) inclosed in separate fluid-tight shells and connected in succession with two or more expansion-V nozzles, whereby the elastic-fluid Apressure is converted into ois m'od, and the ois 'Ui/Ua is utilized in stages, such as described in my said Patent No. 566,969. reversing of the turbine, I construct each wheel or revolving portion of my turbine so that it is provided with one or more additional annular ranges of vanes or buckets, which are set in the opposite direction to the regular vanes or buckets. This additional set of vanes coacts with an additional nozzle, (preferably of the expansion type,) which is set in the opposite direction to the regular nozzle, and the jet of steam or other elastic fluid delivered by which causes the turbine to rotate in the reverse or backward direction. Where the turbine is composed of two or more sections, each-inclosed in aseparate fluid-tight shell and having intermediate passages between the shells terminating in delivery-nozzles, preferably ofthe expansion,

type, the additional reversing-vanes will be provided in eachV section, and suitableinterfV Inediatepas'sages and delivery-nozzles willl be provided to coperate with these reversing-vanes. Wheretheturbineiscom ounded in each shell or is one of a single shell with a compound wheel, stationary as well as rotating reversing-vanes will be provided corresponding with the vanes for producing forward motion.

Although the vanes for producing forward motion may be unsymmetrical in shape and To accomplish the preferably are in my turbine, I make the `movable reversing-vanes of sym metrical form or regularly curved from the center in both directions, so that there will be no tendency for the reversing-vanes to have a fan-like 'action when the turbine is being driven forward,`as they would have if made unsymmetrical like the regular vanes, causing a large circulation of fluid through these vanes, and thus resulting in a loss of power.

VI provide the passages with suitable valves by which the elastic-il uid jet is caused to pass through one set of passages or the other throughout the system of vanes and stationary passages, and thus cause the turbine to rotate in a forward or backward direction. The several valves controlling each set of passages may be connected together so as to be worked simultaneously, the motion being preferably'produced by a cylinder and piston forming a power-relay.

The drawing illustrates,largely in diagram, a turbine embodying the invention.

A, B, and C are three Wheels inclosed in separate fluid-tight shells D, as described in my Patent No. 566,969. Each wheel may be simple or compound, "as described in said patent. As shown, each wheel 'is provided with a single set of rotating vanes ct for producing forward motion. These are of unsymrnetrical curved form, as described in my Patent No.v 566,968. Arranged around the circumferenceof eachwheel,butwithin the vanes ot, is a second set of vanes b, which arevset in the opposite direction to the vanes @and are preferably -of symmetrical curved form, as shown. Expansion-nozzles E F Gcoperate with thevanes a, While similar expansionno'zzles H I J set in the opposite direction, cooperate with the vanes b. A separate set of valves may be used for controllingxeach set of nozzles, or, as shown in the drawing, one set of valves may be used to control both sets of nozzles. To accomplish this, a pipe c leads into a valve-chamber cl, withlopposite ends of which the nozzles E 'and H are connected by suitable pipes ef. V'The pipe cis provided with a suitable throttle-valve, (not shown,) which is used to shut off steam from the entire engine when not running. A pistonvalve K moves between valve-seats g 7L in the opposite ends of chamber d and is connected with a valve-rod fi, passing out through a stufiing-boxj. In the central position of the valve K it covers-the opening of the pipe c into the valve-chamber d and shuts off the supply of steam to both nozzles E and H. When the valve K is moved to the right and is seated on the seat h, steam is admitted to the nozzle E, which delivers a steam-jet to the vanes d for driving the turbine forward. Steam is at this time cut off from the reversing-nozzle II. When the valve K is moved to the left and is seated on the seat g, the steam is cut off from the nozzle E and is admitted to the nozzle H, which delivers a jet to the reversing-vanes I). The valve-seats g h make a tight lit with the valve and insure a steam-tight closing of the valve.

The exhaust from the wheel A, Whether the jet is delivered by the nozzle E or H, is received by a steam-box L, which covers the discharging ends of enough of both sets of vanes a and Z1 to receive all the steam delivered by either nozzle. From the steam-box L a pipe c' leads to a valve-chamber d', in which moves a piston-valve K and with the opposite ends of which are connected the nozzles F and I. These nozzles are larger in cross-sectional area than the nozzles E and H to accommodate the increased volume of the steam-jet and the pipe c. Valve-chamber d and valve K are similarly larger than the corresponding parts c, d, and K. A steambox L' receives the steam from the vanes of the wheel B, and parts c2, d2, and K2, similar to c', d', and K', but larger, connect the steamboX L with the nozzles Gr and J, which are larger than the nozzles F and I and coact with the vanes a b of the third wheel C. The dis` charge from the wheel C is received by a steam-box L2, which may be connected with a fourth wheel, if one is used. If only three wheels are used, the steam-box L2 discharges into the air for a non-condensing engine or into a condenser or other means for producing less than atmospheric pressure, if the engine is a condensing-engine.

The valve-rods t, t, and t2 of the valves K K' K2 are connected with a rod k by means of gear-wheels Z. This rod 7c is connected with the piston of a steam-relay M, by means of which the valves K K' K2 can be operated simultaneously.

What I claim is- 1. In an elastic-Huid turbine, the combination with movable direct vanes for producing forward motion, of two or more sets of movable reverse vanes and intermediate guidepassages through which the iiuid passes in succession for producing backward motion, and an expansion-nozzle coperating with the reverse vanes, substantially as set forth.

2. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with two or more sets of movable direct vanes and intermediate guide-passages through which the fluid passes in succession for producing forward motion, of two or more sets of movable reverse vanes and intermediate guide-passages through which the fluid passes in succession for producing backward motion, and an expansion-nozzle coperating with the reverse vanes, substantially as set forth.

3. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with movable direct vanes for producing forward motion, of two or more sets of movable reverse vanes and coperating nozzles operating by stage expansion for producing backward motion, substantially as set forth.

4. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with two or more sets of movable direct vanes and coperating nozzles operating by stage expansion for producing forward motion, of two or more sets of movable reverse vanes and intermediate guide passages through which the fluid passes in succession for producing backward motion, and an expansion-nozzle coperating with the reverse vanes, substantially as set forth.

5. In an elastic-fluid turbine, the combination with two or more sets of movable direct vanes and coperating nozzles operating by stage expansion for producing forward motion, of two or more sets of movable reverse vanes and coperating nozzles operating by stage expansion for producing backward motion, substantially as set forth.

6. In an elastic-fluid turbine, operating by stage expansion, the combination with two or more separate wheel-chambers connected in succession, of two separate sets of movable vanes in each wheel-chamber, one for forward and the other for backward motion, and two sets of delivery-nozzles coperating with the two sets of vanes, substantially as set forth.

7. In an elastic-fluid turbine, operating by stage expansion, the combination with two or more separate wheel-chambers connected in succession, of two separate sets of movable vanes in each wheel-chamber, one for forward and the other for backward motion, and two sets of expansion nozzles coperating with the two sets of vanes, substantially as set forth.

S. In an elastic-fluid turbine, operating by stage expansion, the combination with two or more separate wheel-chambers connected in succession, of two separate sets of movable vanes in each wheel-chamber, one for forward and the other for backward motion, two sets of delivery-nozzles coperating with the two sets of vanes, and means for cutting off the iiow of iuid simultaneously through the two or more delivery-nozzles of each'set, substantially as set forth.

9. In an elastic-fluid turbine, operating by stage expansion, the combination with two or more separate wheel-chambers connected in succession, ol' two separate sets of movable vanes in each wheel-chamber, one for forward and the other for backward motion, two

IOO

motion, of nozzles for delivering elastic-Huid jets to such vanes separately, substantially as set forth. c

This specification signed and witnessed this 26th dey of July, 1897.

CHARLES G. URTIS.

Witnesses:

EUGENE CONRAN, JNO. R. TAYLOR. 

